Embers of Ruin (The Dark Kingdom)

Magic is not forbidden on the continent—it is hunted.

The Shadow King rules the cursed, dark continent while his Acolytes tear through villages, ripping secrets from those unwilling to speak, leaving nothing but silence in their wake. No one knows why he hoards magic. No one dares ask.

Lyra Tartethyn, a healer by trade and liar by necessity, has spent years hiding the truth buried beneath her skin. Her magic is rare, dangerous … and powerful enough to unravel a king. She survives by staying invisible … until she is not.

Taken to the kingdom of shadows, Lyra is forced into a dangerous game where defiance is punished, obedience is tested, and every move is measured. The more she resists the Shadow King, the more he seems to want her.

To survive, Lyra repeats the only truths she has left:

I will not cower.
I will not break.
I will not bend.

But the Shadow King is patient. And he has every intention of making her do all three.